Im useless at posting pics but will tell you my favourite sighting ever was of a herd of elephant huddled around a small pool of water that had gathered next to the road after rain. The ellies were busy drinking when suddenly a little baby and an older female came rushing out of the bush towards the group. The herd looked up and all started trumpeting and grumbling in those fantastic sounds they make. They all got very excited and were touching trunks with the little baby and female and grumbling continiously - They all gathered tight as a group and seemed to be talking - We were on a morning drive at the time and the guide explained that this was possibly a new baby being introduced to the group after being born away from the herd with its mother or the two had been seperated from the group and after a bit of time were being reunited

But the best was a mother cheetah training her two half grown cubs to hunt on a springbok lamb.

The cubs would chase the lamb catch it and wait for mom to catch up. However, jackals were on the scene and every time the cubs left the mortally wounded lamb to go and fetch mom, the jackals would dash in and grab the carcass at which time the cubs would chase after them reclaim the booty and take it back to the spot were they had killed it.

Then off to fetch mom again, jackals dash in grab the lifeless body and the whole procedure replays itself. This happened four or five times.

But to add great humour to the event, it all happened over a den of suricate meercats. So all through the performance heads were bobbing up and down from this hole then that. From this side then that.

Eventually mom arrived whistled approvement and loped off with cubs in tow,leaving it to the jackals to clean up in minutes.

That was a half hours frantic fun and amusement. Sad for the lamb but great for us.

It was the very best "first time " ever.

I say that but my first KNP visit is a whole different report for another day.

One of my most amazing sightings was a few years ago, my friend, her SO and I were staying at Ngwenya, and went in at CB daily. It was February and very hot!!! It was about an hour before leaving time, and just about 2kms from Crocodile a leopard caught a vervet monkey and proceeded to have a snack, it started with the brains (reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie), we sat there absolutely startled not even thinking of cameras, only binocs, although we were right next to it!!! The leopard ate it down to the middle of the spine, leaving the legs, tail and backside, and then to my amazement started digging and buried the leftovers in the ground!!! Has anybody ever seen this kind of behaviour before?? It then ran off into the bush and climbed a Maroela tree and posed beautifully, before lying down on the large branch!!

When driving from Skukuza to LS one day I saw a martial eagle coming in very low in the rear mirror of my car,gliding about 1 meter above the tar road at a very high speed,went over my car and caught a guineafowl that was sitting under a bush right next to the road about 100 m right in front of my car. When I stopped I could see all the action right in front of my eyes.

1) First sighting of cheetah in Kruger - and all by ourselves!2) Seeing a pack of wild dogs rip apart a duiker3) Seeing a caracal AND a honey badger walking down the H1-1 by Pretoriuskop right next to each other!!! Was so excited didn't know which one to focus on with the camera!!! Would have been amazing to get a shot of them next to each other because I still can't believe they were walking next to one another, but did manage to settle for separate shots of each!4) Watching a lion hunt - we sat at a dam on the road between Satara and Letaba watching a pride of lions lying on the dam wall and then had the priviledge of watching the hunt unfold! And this was middle of the day - the hunt came to nothing but amazing to see how they orchestrated the hunt and was scary to see how big and powerful these creatures are when one of them suddenly walked right past our open window - didn't even see it coming! And then SO needed the loo so badly because we had been waiting for so long and the nearest loo was as Tshokwane a good few kms away so quite a rush to get there in time for her!!!

Just got back tonight from the Kruger. Had the most amazing sunset drive at Lower Sabie on Monday, the 15th! We managed to get lions on the S82, just after turning right of the H4-2 towards Croc Bridge. It was the last 5 minutes of light and what followed was amazing.

Jan stop the vehicle after spotting a lioness. Out came another 2 of them, but they were not just walking around, they were busy flanking a herd of impalas. We saw the whole thing.... the crawling, the waiting, staring, the ambush and the kill. The spotlights were scanning like crazy trying to keep up with the lions and impalas running around.

What was most amazing about the whole thing, was that the lions saw us and were right next to us, not worried about our precense whilst trying to get supper at the same time. I will try post some photos/videos around this weekend!

for the Kruger!!!!

Live for today,because todayis the 'tomorrow'we dreamed about yesterday..

We visited South Africa, the Kruger and Pondoro last June and had the most fanastic sightings, including elephant chasing lion away from a water hole and 5 of the big 5 plus much more in the first three days (were there for one week ....too short) but my most favourite two were coming across three cheetha's on a recent kill. We watched as they devoured their kill and then as the vultures came in and chased them off the kill. It was amazing. Once off their kill they walked right up close to the car and looked right through us then moved on slowly.

My second favourite sighting from that visit was of a leopard. It had recently walked across the road then pointed out to us. We watched as it preened itself under the shade of a tree and were amazed at how 'domestic cat like' it was.